Pages 809-827

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Page 814

Endnote 337

V.i.9
The line is "It must be 'se offendendo;' it cannot be else." The reference is to Ophelia, who killed herself. Notably, Act V, scene i of Hamlet is where Yorick is mentioned.

Page 814 (cont'd)

perfidy
treachery

Gately's Humorous ball and Scalpula socket
referring to the humerus (largest bone of the arm, between the shoulder and elbow) and the ball and socket joint of the shoulder, the blade of which is called the scapula

IM
intramuscular

Page 815

toxemia
a bacterial infection of the blood

Ninth Step
The ninth of the original Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is, "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

Weld
William Floyd Weld (born 1945) was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. Even the prescient Wallace could probably not have predicted Mitt Romney, who held the post from 2003 to 2007.

Alsace
a region of France bordering the Rhine border with Germany

impost
a tax or duty imposed on some one

Endnote 338

There is a potention for confusion in order here, because doxycycline hyclate can be given in preparations other than intravenous, which Gately is getting.

Page 816

Dr. Dentons
a trade name of children's blanket sleeper (pajamas); Gately's are XXL, extra extra large

imago
psychological term for an idealized image, usually of a parent, formed in childhood and continuing into adulthood subconsciously

Page 818

Endnote 341

Page 819

codeine
an opiate used as a painkiler; a habit-forming, Schedule III narcotic

shiners
black eyes

Oreida
Or "Ore-Ida", maker of potato products and originator of Tater Tots; Thrust may be thinking "iota" at the same time

Page 820

turnipcut
i.e., tourniquet

medecins
French: doctors (physicians)

solenoid
a current-carrying coil of wire

Page 821

fishtailing
having the back end of one's car spinning

Page 822

GQGentlemen's Quarterly

embryoglio
i.e., imbroglio

fleen
Thrust's past tense of flee (à la "flown")

Page 823

ballast
heavy material placed on the bottom of ships to provide balance and stability

prosfeces
i.e., prostheses

freakas
fracas

Page 824

Wellfleet Circuit Court
Wellfleet is a town on Cape Cod about 10 miles south of Provincetown.

Met State
Metropolitan State Hospital; a defunct public mental health facility in Waltham, MA. It was operating during Wallace's stay at nearby McLean Hospital but closed before Infinite Jest's publication.

Cuerva
Thrust means "Cuervo," a brand of tequila.

Page 825

batorial ammonia
Thrust must mean bacterial pneumonia

Nightmare on Elm Street XXII: The Senescence
a joke concerning the horror films of Wes Craven. Senescence is the process of growing old

to take a brody
More correctly, brodie, refers to [1]Steve Brodie, who survived a leap from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886